VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA: will convene the final leg of its global treasure hunt promotion tied to Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest on Aug. 6. Seven finalists will be taken to a secret location somewhere in the world where the first hunter to unearth a buried Volvo SUV wins it. The hunt, which kicked off June 12, drew more than 52,000 online contestants in the U.S. The seven finalists (two women and five men) were the first to complete the online treasure hunt which concluded four weeks later. The victor and results of the final hunt will be released to the public on Aug. 11, followed by a series of webisodes chronicling the hunt premiering online at Volvocars.us/thehunt” on Aug. 25.
EPRIZE: Pleasant Ridge, MI, plans to add 450 staffers over the next three years. The interactive-marketing agency will borrow $10 million from Charter One Bank to fund the hires. The loan is part of Michigan’s “Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow” $200 million loan program to bring 5,000 new jobs to the state by 2010. ePrize plans to triple its staff to 680 in Michigan (750 globally), adding technical experts and creative directors as well as administrative and operations staff. EPrize ranked No. 3 in the 2006 PROMO 100 with 2005 net revenues of $26.2 million, up 305% from 2003.
BRUEGGER’S: is giving customers a cool treat during the summer heat offering free samples of its Raspberries and Cream Iced Coffee. Consumers who visit participating Bruegger’s bakery-café locations between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Aug. 8 can receive a sample.
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